boyer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

C. T. BUYER. BUNGHING ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING MACHINES.

Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

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G. T. BOYER. BUNGHING ATTACHMENT FOB. MOWING MACHINES. No. 558,149.Patented Apr. 14,1896.

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ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHDTO-UTHU.WASHI NG TON. In.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFrcE'.

CHARLES T. BOYER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERI- CANBUNCHER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BUNCHING ATTACHMENT FOR MOWING-MACHINES SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 558,149, dated April 14, 1896. Application filed y 9,1895. Serial No. 5%,760. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. BoYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BunchingAttachments for Mowing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my said invention is to provide a convenient and efficientmeans whereby hay, in being out, can be deposited in bunches directlyfrom the mowing-machine instead of being distributed entirely over thesurface of the field, as has been common with ordinary mowers. This isespecially useful in cutting clover where it is desired to save theseed, it being desirable, as is well known, to leave such clover inbunches and subject I to the action of the Weather for a time, dun

ing which period it should be disturbed as little as possible.

Said invention consists in an attachment whereby the above object iscarried out, as will be hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure1 is a perspective view illus trating a mowing-machine in use, which isprovided with an attachment embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a topor plan view of said attachment, together with the cutting apparatus andother immediately-adjacent portions of the mowing-machine; Fig. 3, aperspective view of a fragment of said attachment on a larger scale,illustrating the principal parts, the upper plate or cover of the frameof said attachment being removed, exposing the mechanism; Fig. 4:, alongitudinal sectional view on'the dotted line 4 etin Fig.2, and Fig. 5a transverse sectional view on the dotted line 5 5 in Fig. 2.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the framework of themowing-machine, B the finger-bar thereto, and C the frame of my improvedattachment.

The mowing-machine A and finger-bar B are or may be of any ordinary ordesired form, and will not, therefore, be further described herein,except incidentally in describing my said invention.

The frame C is hinged to the finger-bar B by hinges c, and is positioneddirectly in rear thereof. Mounted in bearings therein are a number ofrods C, whichextend to the rear, the direction being preferably onsomewhat of an inclination toward the mowingmachine and away from thestanding grass,

so that in manipulation, as will be presently more fully explained, thegrass which has been out shall be thrown away from rather than againstthe standing grass. At the rear end these rods are bent upwardly, asshown most plainly at c in Fig. 5, so that in their normal position theywill hold the grass from being pulled off by contact with the ground orstubble until the position is shifted and the bunch of cut grass thuspurposely released. They are also preferably curved somewhat from thepoint of bearing in the frame C to the point where they are bentupwardly, as just stated, so that, as indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 2, when the upwardly-projecting ends are thrown down the body isthrown back slightly, thus aiding in throwing the bunch of cut grassaway from the standing grass. At

- their forward ends these rods have cranks, as

shown most plainly in Figs. 3 and 5, and these are all connected to asliding bar C by which, as will be readily understood, all said rods maybe simultaneously operated. The longitudinal movement of this bar C maybe effected in any desired manner and is generally effected by means ofa treadle, as A, operated by the driver. The connection may be in anyform desired. I have shown a cord C running over suitable sheaves tosaid treadle A, the latter being mounted on the frame A at a suitablepoint for the driver to place his foot thereon, as best shown in Fig. 2.A spring O is shown as interposed between shoulders on'the bar 0 and theinner surface of the frame 0, and said spring is of sufficient strengthto actuate said bar O and tip the rods 0 connected thereto. The springmay of course operate in either direction, but I have shown it asoperating to tip the rods fiat, in the position shown by the dottedlines in Fig. 2, said rods being held to their other position by theforce of the drivers foot on the treadle.

The top of the frame 0 is in the form of a plate 0 which extends backover and covers the bearings of the rods 0 and the mechanism by whichthey are operated, and is secured in place by hinges 0 This cover alsoserves to momentarily impede the grass as it falls during the time thebunches of grass are being discharged. Normally, while the bentup points0 are raised to their greatest height, as shown most plainly in Fig. 5,the cranks on the other ends of the rods, which are connected to the bar0 are in their lowermost position. The forcing of said bar 0 cndwise notonly rocks the rods 0, but is, through the instrumentality of the crankson the ends of said rods, also the means of raising the cover 0 to theposition shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5, and said cover inthis position forms a dam or impediment, which will cause the grass asit falls to pile up for the brief period while the rods 0 are rocked, sothat their points 0 lie flat. As the device is released and the points 0thrown up to their normal position the cover 0 falls fiat again, asshown by the full lines in Fig. 5, and the grass passes on freely overit, as before, to against said bent-up points 0, where a new bunch isformed.

The operation is as follows: The driver holds his foot on the treadle A,keeping the rods 0 with their outer bent ends 0 standing upright, asshown most plainly in Fig. 5, until a sufficient quantity of the grasshas, in the operation of mowing, been thrown onto said rods. to make thedesired size of bunch. He then releases the pressure of his foot on saidtreadle, when said rods are thrown down to the position shown by thedotted lines in Fig. 2, when the friction on the ground and stubbledraws the bunch off said rods and leaves it at the point where thisoperation is had. The rods are then thrown up to their former positionby renewing the pressure on the treadle, and so on continuously as longas the machine is in operation or as long as it is desired to performthis work.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a mowing-machine, of a bunching attachmentsecured bework and extending rearwardly and at an inclination toward themowing-machine structure and having upwardly-turned rear ends,substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a mowing-machine, of a bunching attachmentsecured in the rear of the finger-bar, and consisting of a framework, aseries of rods j ournaled in said framework and provided with divergentends at the rear and cranks at the forward ends thereof, a bar 0 towhich the cranks of said rods are all connected, a foot-lever mounted onthe mowing-machine,a connection between said foot-lever and said bar,and a spring acting oppositely to the pull from said foot-lever,substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a mowing-machine; and a bunching attachment,secured in the rear of the finger-bar, and consisting of a frame 0, rods0 mounted therein and provided with angular ends 0, a bar 0 connected tocranks on the forward ends of said rods whereby they are operated, and aplate C covering said operating mechanism, includ ing said bar 0 andadapted to be raised by said mechanism as the rods 0 are rocked todeposit the bunch of grass thereon, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 7th day of May, A. D. 1895.

CHAS. T. BOYER. [L. s] lVitnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, J AMES A. WALsH.

